Life, as it is!

When one of my friends told me to write an article on 'what is life?', I thought 'what an easy topic!'. Once I got thinking about it, my inner self exclaimed, oh, you wish!'. There is so much to write about life and so little at the same time.

Google explains the meaning of life as 'existence of human being, animal or plant'. Well, to think it considering the realms of this world and human beings, my brain is not satisfied with this explanation. Mere existence cannot ever be called life, unless scientific. Life is way beyond just existing, it is 'living' that existence.

You want to know what life truly is? Look at the eyes of a toddler who smiles at you without even knowing you. That spark in his eyes depicts life. Try feeding a hungry person, that satisfaction and proud which you feel for yourself is life. The happiness on the face of a student who has studied day and night and got into merit, that happiness is life.

Moreover, life is enjoying the present moment and giving your fullest. Life is having a purpose to your existence- to help the needy, to foster peace, to make a difference, to turn this world into a better place. Life is having the courage to smile when you are crying inside. Oh, I know that's braveness but that's what life is too. Life is not being regretful of the past or worried for the future. Life is beholding nature with its colours and diversities. Life is the comfort of your own pillow after travelling the world. Life is to improve yourself, to care for others and to be kind with the world.

In short, life is mean and serious but fun as well. Life is a bitch but a blessing as well.

So, keep your past and future aside and live the moment because it is not going to knock your door again. Explore and know your journey as much and as far as possible. Take risks, face challenges, fail but learn! Work hard, stay humble and be happy, after all that's the whole motive of living. 

Image Source: I don't know! :P

Beyond banana leaf, gold and kanjeevaram...

Sudden plan of attending a friend's wedding, road trip, lush green tracks, sparkling water and god's own country- Kerala is way beyond idli and dosa! 

My acquaintance with the beautiful landscapes of this city brought a romantic rhythm to my eyes which fell in love with nature once again.  

On the way was Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu) where I had a bite of authentic South-Indian breakfast. It was not that I was having this cuisine for the first time but surely there were some ingredients in that dish that was particular to the place and delighted my senses.  

The target place was Guruvayur in Kerala. From Krishnagiri to Guruvayur, the journey had been amidst breaking dawn, bright sunshine, tall coconut trees and GPS which helped us get through highways.  

Guruvayur is commonly known for its famous religious devotion standing high in the form of Guruvayur Temple. I mini-researched about the temple before actually visiting it and how I wished to go but my laziness fell in between. Some other time, may be.  

This was the first time that I was witnessing a different culture wedding altogether. Both bride and groom belonged to southern part of India, and thus it makes my experience of this Kerala trip a total acquaintance to South-Indian culture, way in and out. Be it food on banana leaves with an exciting pair of dishes, music which makes your heart dance Bharatnatyam, artistic prints on walls of the venue, wedding rituals which are so simple and yet different, or people & their core simplicity; this wedding was an exquisite experience for me.  

We still wanted more out of this trip and therefore planned a place which rolled itself out as a beautiful feather on Kerala's head – Allepy, the place of houseboats. Though I did not get the chance to have a houseboat experience but those 24 hours in another cozy place were so relaxing. I just did not get tired admiring the mesmerizing natural creations, be it backwaters or lotuses or sunrise.  

Thank god I took that trip because it made me realize millions of things about life and people associated with it. I always give immense importance to travelling in one's life because it opens the mind, it relaxes the soul, it gives a new lookout towards ideas one does not dare to pursue, towards problems one runs away from and towards taking that heavy yet crucial step to make everything better.  

Get out of your cocoon and explore this journey called life in the best way possible.  

Concluding this travelogue-cum-philosophy-bicker with a truck note I read on the way:  
'Shor mat kar bulbul, aaj gum ki raat hai, 
Tere bhi sheher aayenge, do chaar din ki baat hai.'  

Constant Battle Between Job and Fitness

How often we think to transform ourselves into one who

• Wakes up early in the morning
• Follows his/her fitness regime
• Eats nutritional breakfast
• Gulps juice instead of caffeine beverages
• Has filling lunch and light dinner
• Goes for post-dinner walks
• Sleeps on time

I can bet you on this. Each one of us goes through this same recurring cycle of thinking than doing. For most of us ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ has become just a metaphor.

We drool on Hugh Jackman’s or Jennifer Lawrence’s toned muscles & imagine on how cool we will look with them. But! But we don't have time, but we are becoming lazier with every passing day, but we place our job's responsibilities ahead of our fitness, but we have grown to understand that wealth is more important than health.

I was going through a listicle which portrayed pictures of how bollywood celebrities would have been if they worked in IT industry. The article sarcastically represented lives of IT professionals. Clearly, the protagonist had swollen eyes, depleting skin, obese tummy and tired posture.

If this is how the country is developing (by bringing in more revenue and compromising on the health of such intelligent minds), then personally, I don't encourage such 'development'.

The good news is that organizations have become cognizant of the fact that fitness is of crucial importance. They  provide gym facilities to their employees and organize several athletic events, such as marathon or cycling contests, on a large scale.

Even government is taking steps to build a healthier country with their awareness programs & celebrating days like Yoga Day (January 22nd every year) to encourage mass participation across various demographics.

This has been complemented by technological advancements supporting health and fitness such as health tracking apps, smart gadgets and innovative gym equipment. Even the advertisements these days encourage you to focus on your health. Staircases are positioned against elevators and escalator, cycling is being promoted, a healthier diet is encouraged and so on.

Being a professional, on an individual level, we can practice the following to do our part for improving our own health:

• Use stairs instead of elevators
• Drink lot of water and stay hydrated
• Include fruits, juices and milk in your diet
• Don't skip meals for work
• Use anti-glares while working on laptop/PC
• Take 10-15 minutes evening walk
• Cut on caffeine and cigarettes

While accumulating wealth for your coming generations, don't forget to invest in your health. As the saying goes in hindi, 'pehla sukh, nirogi kaaya' which means the first and most important blessing is to have a healthy body, rest comes later.

Happy fitness! :)

Image Source: Onlymyhealth

Let Your Desk Speak Your Personality!

This topic was lying on my stick note from so long and I have been waiting for the perfect hour to pen my views down. Finally spilling the beans of my thoughts over this!

We all have a work desk where we spend most part of our day. It is like the second place after home which we smugly cherish as a possession. This draws us to the statement that your desk is as important as your home and should reflect your ownership.

According to a research conducted by Huffington Post, giving a personal touch to your workplace boosts productivity, brings happiness and reduces absenteeism.

 Having read that, I was curious about the proportionality of these variables. Also, with the creative weed in my brain, I always had the urge to give my work space my reflection so that I get familiarized with the corner as quick as possible.

Let’s see what you should do to bring that personalization to your workspace and how it impacts your work:

• If you are an avid appreciator of flora, get a small sapling for your desk. Even a good luck plant will charm. Keeping greenery near you brings positivity and absorbs the harmful rays in your surroundings.
  
• Keep your passion alive on your desk. If you are into literature, stick some nice-read quotes. If you like to draw, pin some of your drawings on the board. If art attracts you, have small art piece onto your space.
  
  Below are some pictures on how I am keeping my interests alive, given my passions ranging from reading, arts and music.

• If you like reading articles and love newspaper, pin some articles onto your board.
  
• Have atleast one picture of your near and dear ones. This will motivate you in your harder times.
  
• For some, pictures of their favourite characters (actor/actresses, politicians, others) triggers enthusiasm in them.
  
• Make sure that your space is comfortable and personalized at the same time. It must give you the feeling that it belongs to you! :)

Believe me, this will encourage you to pass through difficult times in your work life and cope gracefully. I have a note on my desk and whenever I am into some unpleasant times and my eye falls on it, I get revitalized to face the challenging day. This is the note:

Your desk says a lot about you. So make your statement and showcase your personality without uttering a word.

But don’t forget to attend to your main goal i.e. WORK! :P

On a concluding remark, I would like to quote some words from my recent reading (which give no clue about the topic discussed above but is worth sharing):

Work, love, courage and hope; Make me good and help me cope.